Thai police have said 15 Japanese have been arrested for alleged involvement in a call center scam that defrauded people in their homeland.

The police said Friday that the 15 were arrested following a raid on an upscale house in the beach resort town of Pattaya.

According to police sources, it is the first time a scam targeting people in Japan has been uncovered in Thailand.

The sources said the police launched an investigation after rumors began circulating of a Japanese gang running a phone scam in town.